Anne-Marie Robinson

The halls are quiet. The students have left for the day. There are brief pleasantries with the school's current administrator. Eastern Commerce is no longer a high school. It's now the home of the First Nations School of Toronto, known as Wandering Spirit Survival School. This building is almost 100 years old, and it's been going through some significant renovations lately.

The halls are quiet. The students have left for the day. There are brief pleasantries with the school's current administrator. Eastern Commerce is no longer a high school. It's now the home of the First Nations School of Toronto, known as Wandering Spirit Survival School. This building is almost 100 years old, and it's been going through some significant renovations lately.

Anne-Marie leads the way. Two administrators and I follow. She heads towards the music teacher's office.

Anne-Marie leads the way. Two administrators and I follow. She heads towards the music teacher's office.

It's now an elevator. Anne-Marie has a worried look. What if the music room is gone too? She tells the administrators why it's important she finds it.

It's now an elevator. Anne-Marie has a worried look. What if the music room is gone too? She tells the administrators why it's important she finds it.

We walk upstairs, then down a hallway, the one with floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out onto the parking lot.

We walk upstairs, then down a hallway, the one with floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out onto the parking lot.

The music room is still there. It's under renovation, but it's there. There's a long chalkboard, five white lines, a music staff are etched across the board. But Anne-Marie walks directly towards a door in the wall. She knows exactly where she's going. She opens the door, a closet. She walks right in, and I follow.

The music room is still there. It's under renovation, but it's there. There's a long chalkboard, five white lines, a music staff are etched across the board. But Anne-Marie walks directly towards a door in the wall. She knows exactly where she's going. She opens the door, a closet. She walks right in, and I follow.

Yeah. The administrators hang back, waiting out in the hallway. They give us space. But we don't linger. When she's seen enough, we head back out to join them. They ask Anne-Marie if she's okay. She says she is. And she tells me she's ready to leave.

Yeah. The administrators hang back, waiting out in the hallway. They give us space. But we don't linger. When she's seen enough, we head back out to join them. They ask Anne-Marie if she's okay. She says she is. And she tells me she's ready to leave.

You don't, you know, we went in there, you said, I feel like I'm going to cry, but I'm not. And you don't often get emotional. Is that just like a protection mechanism that you have now built in?

You don't, you know, we went in there, you said, I feel like I'm going to cry, but I'm not. And you don't often get emotional. Is that just like a protection mechanism that you have now built in?

But you were very strong to go in there today. Thank you.

But you were very strong to go in there today. Thank you.

Just days before the podcast production wraps up, Anne-Marie hears from another former high school bandmate. This woman played French horn beside Anne-Marie when they were 16. I call her.

Just days before the podcast production wraps up, Anne-Marie hears from another former high school bandmate. This woman played French horn beside Anne-Marie when they were 16. I call her.

She wanted me to know what she had witnessed in a hotel room on a band trip to Belleville in 1977, the night Anne-Marie told a court she was raped. This woman says a bunch of band kids were in the teacher's hotel room. Doug Walker was kissing and groping Anne-Marie in front of everyone.

She wanted me to know what she had witnessed in a hotel room on a band trip to Belleville in 1977, the night Anne-Marie told a court she was raped. This woman says a bunch of band kids were in the teacher's hotel room. Doug Walker was kissing and groping Anne-Marie in front of everyone.